Reports now say Miles staying
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Noon Update:
The Advocate has confirmed with Athletic Director Skip Bertman that Les Miles will stay at LSU. The Ann Arbor News newspaper is reporting that Les Miles has withdrawn his name from consideration to be the next Michigan coach and has signed a multi-year contract to be at LSU.
Read the Ann Arbor News story:
Report: Miles to be staying at LSU
ESPN has posted a story on their Web site reflecting the same information as the Ann Arbor News story.
Miles has called a press conference for 12:50 p.m. Central time. No topic for the press confererence was announced.<br />
_________________________________
Michigan calls; Miles will listen
Advocate story as posted 12:05 a.m. 12/01/07
ATLANTA — LSU coach Les Miles tried his best Friday to keep the focus on the Tigers’ SEC Championship Game today with Tennessee, but couldn’t completely evade the obstacle course of questions regarding his candidacy for the football coaching job at Michigan.
Asked during a news conference at the Georgia Dome what he has told his team about the Michigan situation, Miles said: “I told them honestly I have no first-hand knowledge in any way that they (Michigan officials) have made contact. They haven’t contacted me and I haven’t contacted them.
Miles then said: “The reports are that they have asked for permission to speak to me. I will allow that after this game.”
Asked if he knew when such a meeting will take place, Miles tersely replied: “No.”
LSU officials said Wednesday that Michigan Athletic Director Bill Martin called his LSU counterpart Skip Bertman to ask permission to speak to Miles, which was granted.
Miles stressed that he was focused on preparing for the Tennessee game (3 p.m. CST, CBS).
“I’m the (LSU) coach and I’m preparing to play this game fully,” Miles said. “There will be no distractions.”
Asked why he would want the Michigan job if LSU wins today and in the postseason — a victory would likely put the Tigers in the Jan. 1 Allstate Sugar Bowl — Miles replied: “You’re talking about a scenario that I’m not entertaining. If you think that it’s a conversation that I can have with my wife, I can’t, OK? It’s not something I talk about. It would be certainly a distraction to me and be cheating my team. I wouldn’t do it.
“So we’ll get beyond this game and see what happens.”
Former Michigan quarterback John Wangler, one of Miles’ oldest and closest friends, reportedly said during an interview Thursday on a Detroit radio station that he believes Miles wants the Michigan job.
“I think he wants to be the next coach at Michigan,” Wangler said, according to the Detroit Free Press. “He has paid his dues and has earned the right; he has come up the right way.”
Contacted Friday, Wangler refused to repeat his comments as previously reported, but did speak of Miles’ affection for their alma mater.
“He loves Michigan and that probably has always been his dream job,” said Wangler, who said he speaks to Miles daily. In their recent conversations, Wangler said they haven’t talked about the Michigan job but “how nervous he is about Tennessee. The dominant thing for him has been what’s going on in front of his team and what they’ve got to do, that kind of stuff.”
For Miles — and Michigan — Wangler is pulling for his old friend to get the job.
“I think he’s the best coach for our situation,” he said. “Selfishly, I want that to happen for Michigan.”
Wangler stressed that Miles is not unhappy at LSU.
“He loves being at LSU,” he said. “They treat him fairly, the program is established, they have momentum. I’m sure he’s very torn.”
LSU Board of Supervisors member Alvin Kimble of Baton Rouge said Friday he is optimistic Miles will stay, but that he will understand if Miles opts to leave — especially if Michigan offers something around $3 million annually.
“There’s a lot of incentive for him to stay,” Kimble said. “But I can understand the draw for him going back to his alma mater where he was a player and coach.
“If it tugs at his heart, then I don’t blame him.”
Bertman said he wants to meet with Miles to discuss his contract after LSU returns from Atlanta. Bertman has said LSU can pay upward of $3.5 million for its football coach, roughly double Miles’ $1.8 million annual compensation.
However, Kimble said what LSU would have to offer Miles to stay would depend on how much Michigan offers him first.
Kimble also said contingency plans are in development and said he does not favor some of the top big names circulated, such as South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier and even former LSU and current Alabama coach Nick Saban.
“I don’t know if we’d go after Spurrier,” Kimble said, adding that he would certainly warrant an interview if he expresses interest. “He’s a little bit older (Spurrier would be 63 before next football season). I can say that because he’s about my age.
“I think we’d go after someone we think would stay with the program for a while.”
As for Saban, Kimble said: “I don’t think Saban is going to happen.” Kimble noted that he has heard what he terms false rumors about Saban secretly flying into Baton Rouge. “I think there’s so much animosity toward Saban and he destroyed so much credibility.”
There are some quality NFL coaches the school might consider, like Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio — who backed out of an interview with LSU when it was searching for Saban’s replacement in 2004. But the timing of the NFL season could present too much of a challenge, Kimble said, especially when it comes to recruiting.
“If we’re going to replace him (Miles), we’re going to have to replace him very quickly,” Kimble said.
Kimble called Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville an “interesting candidate” and joked LSU would have to buy him a box of cigars. Tuberville gave his players cigars that some of them smoked after beating LSU in Tiger Stadium in 1999.
There are a lot of people off the primary radar that LSU would consider, Kimble said. He added that his only top choice is for Miles to stay and that he does not have anyone else in mind.
The Advocate has confirmed with Athletic Director Skip Bertman that Les Miles will stay at LSU. The Ann Arbor News newspaper is reporting that Les Miles has withdrawn his name from consideration to be the next Michigan coach and has signed a multi-year contract to be at LSU.
Read the Ann Arbor News story:
Report: Miles to be staying at LSU
ESPN has posted a story on their Web site reflecting the same information as the Ann Arbor News story.
Miles has called a press conference for 12:50 p.m. Central time. No topic for the press confererence was announced.<br />
_________________________________
Michigan calls; Miles will listen
Advocate story as posted 12:05 a.m. 12/01/07
ATLANTA — LSU coach Les Miles tried his best Friday to keep the focus on the Tigers’ SEC Championship Game today with Tennessee, but couldn’t completely evade the obstacle course of questions regarding his candidacy for the football coaching job at Michigan.
Asked during a news conference at the Georgia Dome what he has told his team about the Michigan situation, Miles said: “I told them honestly I have no first-hand knowledge in any way that they (Michigan officials) have made contact. They haven’t contacted me and I haven’t contacted them.
Miles then said: “The reports are that they have asked for permission to speak to me. I will allow that after this game.”
Asked if he knew when such a meeting will take place, Miles tersely replied: “No.”
LSU officials said Wednesday that Michigan Athletic Director Bill Martin called his LSU counterpart Skip Bertman to ask permission to speak to Miles, which was granted.
Miles stressed that he was focused on preparing for the Tennessee game (3 p.m. CST, CBS).
“I’m the (LSU) coach and I’m preparing to play this game fully,” Miles said. “There will be no distractions.”
Asked why he would want the Michigan job if LSU wins today and in the postseason — a victory would likely put the Tigers in the Jan. 1 Allstate Sugar Bowl — Miles replied: “You’re talking about a scenario that I’m not entertaining. If you think that it’s a conversation that I can have with my wife, I can’t, OK? It’s not something I talk about. It would be certainly a distraction to me and be cheating my team. I wouldn’t do it.
“So we’ll get beyond this game and see what happens.”
Former Michigan quarterback John Wangler, one of Miles’ oldest and closest friends, reportedly said during an interview Thursday on a Detroit radio station that he believes Miles wants the Michigan job.
“I think he wants to be the next coach at Michigan,” Wangler said, according to the Detroit Free Press. “He has paid his dues and has earned the right; he has come up the right way.”
Contacted Friday, Wangler refused to repeat his comments as previously reported, but did speak of Miles’ affection for their alma mater.
“He loves Michigan and that probably has always been his dream job,” said Wangler, who said he speaks to Miles daily. In their recent conversations, Wangler said they haven’t talked about the Michigan job but “how nervous he is about Tennessee. The dominant thing for him has been what’s going on in front of his team and what they’ve got to do, that kind of stuff.”
For Miles — and Michigan — Wangler is pulling for his old friend to get the job.
“I think he’s the best coach for our situation,” he said. “Selfishly, I want that to happen for Michigan.”
Wangler stressed that Miles is not unhappy at LSU.
“He loves being at LSU,” he said. “They treat him fairly, the program is established, they have momentum. I’m sure he’s very torn.”
LSU Board of Supervisors member Alvin Kimble of Baton Rouge said Friday he is optimistic Miles will stay, but that he will understand if Miles opts to leave — especially if Michigan offers something around $3 million annually.
“There’s a lot of incentive for him to stay,” Kimble said. “But I can understand the draw for him going back to his alma mater where he was a player and coach.
“If it tugs at his heart, then I don’t blame him.”
Bertman said he wants to meet with Miles to discuss his contract after LSU returns from Atlanta. Bertman has said LSU can pay upward of $3.5 million for its football coach, roughly double Miles’ $1.8 million annual compensation.
However, Kimble said what LSU would have to offer Miles to stay would depend on how much Michigan offers him first.
Kimble also said contingency plans are in development and said he does not favor some of the top big names circulated, such as South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier and even former LSU and current Alabama coach Nick Saban.
“I don’t know if we’d go after Spurrier,” Kimble said, adding that he would certainly warrant an interview if he expresses interest. “He’s a little bit older (Spurrier would be 63 before next football season). I can say that because he’s about my age.
“I think we’d go after someone we think would stay with the program for a while.”
As for Saban, Kimble said: “I don’t think Saban is going to happen.” Kimble noted that he has heard what he terms false rumors about Saban secretly flying into Baton Rouge. “I think there’s so much animosity toward Saban and he destroyed so much credibility.”
There are some quality NFL coaches the school might consider, like Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio — who backed out of an interview with LSU when it was searching for Saban’s replacement in 2004. But the timing of the NFL season could present too much of a challenge, Kimble said, especially when it comes to recruiting.
“If we’re going to replace him (Miles), we’re going to have to replace him very quickly,” Kimble said.
Kimble called Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville an “interesting candidate” and joked LSU would have to buy him a box of cigars. Tuberville gave his players cigars that some of them smoked after beating LSU in Tiger Stadium in 1999.
There are a lot of people off the primary radar that LSU would consider, Kimble said. He added that his only top choice is for Miles to stay and that he does not have anyone else in mind.
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